Best Practice Sign System at GGB Bearing Technology

The Need for Best Practice Signs in Today’s Manufacturing Facilities 
In today’s workplaces, signage is a key component in communicating about hazards and mitigating risk. Yet, companies often struggle with keeping signs up-to-date and consistent throughout their facility or across all sites. Without an effective safety management program in place – one that emphasizes OSHA/ANSI/ISO-compliant safety signs to reinforce safe behavior – the lives of your workers, subcontractors and visitors are at risk every day.

Signage Struggles at GGB Bearing Technology
GGB Bearing Technology, a global leader in high performance bearing solutions with 8 manufacturing locations in 6 different countries, was struggling with safety communication of warnings within their facility. GGB Bearing Technology and its parent company, EnPro, place a strong emphasis on safety as a core value in their worldwide production facilities which create standard and customized bearings for their customers. Management identified that inconsistencies in signage at one of its U.S.-based facilities was an area in need of improvement. Having the right, standards-based colors for their signs and a consistent design was a very important factor GGB wanted to implement. Recognizing the benefits of upgrading to uniform designs and international symbols – which were being employed at locations abroad – GGB chose Clarion Safety to implement a best practice safety sign system.

The Right Colors, Symbols and Messages
With our visual safety communication standards expertise, GGB knew Clarion Safety was the right partner. We developed a sign system using the latest risk communication technology – including ANSI and ISO best practices – which is being rolled out across different departments in the facility. Creating consistency between accident prevention, egress pathmarkings, safety/fire equipment location, and company policy signs are some examples of what we have helped them improve on. An additional U.S. facility is working towards a similar upgrade. With unified, symbol-based designs and global consistency, risk reduction will be significantly elevated and, most importantly, workers, subcontractors and guests will be better protected from harm. Overall, Clarion Safety had the ability to offer a variety of materials, sizes and mounting types when creating an effective safety sign system for GGB.

Factory-wide Consistency for Improved Safety
Dan Spaeth, Project Engineer at GGB Bearing Technology, discussed the company’s warnings before and after their partnership with Clarion Safety. “Before working with Clarion Safety, we hadn’t looked at signage best practices factory-wide. Other sign suppliers offer inconsistent designs, which we had hanging on site. We counted 5 different types of fire extinguisher signs and 7 different types of emergency eye wash signs!” he said.

“Now that we’re standardizing our signs with Clarion Safety’s help, both in best practice design and placement, messages are communicated in the clearest way possible,” said Spaeth. “It’s also much easier to locate equipment at-a-glance – key for safety in emergency situations. Plus, by consistently using ISO symbols at our plants in the U.S. and abroad, our colleagues will be safer when they travel.”

How Clarion Safety Can Help Your Business
For over 25 years, Clarion Safety has been at the top of the field of visual safety communication. We are long-term leaders of the best practice ANSI and ISO standards – and we’ll use that knowledge to help you warn as effectively as possible. With 15,000+ clients and nearly 100 million signs and labels in use, zero Clarion Safety customers have had warning-based allegations brought against them.

We work with you every step of the way – from planning, to implementation and beyond – to come up with customized, holistic risk management solutions that take the unique hazards of your industry or work environment into account.

Would you like to see how Clarion Safety’s best practice, standards-compliant safety systems can help increase safety and reduce liability at your facility? Reach out to us today! We're standing by and ready to help.